The Man Who Haunted Himself

Some twenty or so years have passed since I originally saw this film, which, at the time I found to be very though-provoking, so it was with a mixture of interest and skepticism that I ordered it from Lovefilm. Happily, I was not disappointed. This is, without doubt, Moore's finest acting role and he delights with his use of facial expression; to me it shows that there is a lot more to his acting skills than the rather one-dimensional parts he spent most of his career playing e.g. The Saint, Brett Sinclair and Bond. Of course, this is dated, as it was filmed in 1970, however most people - myself included - have a fond affection for this period. Good support from some stalwart actors, including Anton Rogers and Hildegard Neil make this a satisfying experience. In my opinion, this story would merit a re-make by a director such as Christopher Nolan.

NB One of the spookiest things about this film is that the director - Basil Dearden - was tragically killed in a car accident shortly after it was completed, in the exact stretch of road used in the film. This only serves to add to the mystery of this film but may put any superstitious directors off attempting a re-make. My recommendation is to watch this late at night with the lights off... Enjoy!

I'm a big Roger Moore fan (the REAL 007) but I only heard about this film recently. I finally got a copy and I think it's a dynamite film. Not because I'm a big Moore fan - if a film sucks, I turn it off. But this movie is far better than all the reviews Ive ever read on it.

I don't believe it drags at all - the pacing is great, especially where Moore keeps on discovering more and more people have seen "him" when it really was his double. Seeing hoe much deeper and deeper Moores double intergrates himself into Moore's life - his work, his liesure, his wife and home - is done extremely well. The inevitable confrontation between the two Pelhams is also done very well, and the ending is a kicker.

Moore is great as usual and plays both roles with style and class.

if ever a cumulative rating for a movie was insane it is THIS one! 5.3? yeah right. It's a 7 - end of story!

Long before Moore's incarnation as 007, this is arguably near the top of Moore's filmography. After Harold Pelham has a near-death experience following an auto accident, he makes what appears to be a stoic recovery. It is only with the passage of time that he begins to notice subtle occurrences that don't seem to dovetail with his own personality. Either he is losing his mind or there is something remarkably rotten in the state of Denmark. Friends and business acqaintances swear they have interacted with him, moments BEFORE he arrives at work...his wife notices a radical change in him and ultimately the inescapable truth presents itself - he has a doppelganger!

Call it far-fetched..its about the only weak point in the flick. Moore is just brilliant as he unravels in the face of his doppelganger's one-upmanship. The final scenes where he confronts his "twin" are riveting and should silence the tidal wave of critics who insist Moore could never act!

A few years ago it was rumored that the film was to be re-made in New Zealand (Peter Jackson?) as DOPPELGANGER, with no less a personage than Travolta in the lead, and he would certainly do the role justice. Since then, heard nothing.

This flick is well worth your effort finding somewhere, even on video.

A collector's item this one - you very rarely see a film as absurd yet enthralling as this. The plot is fabulously illogical, but it provides an opportunity to see Roger Moore in a role far more interesting than James Bond, as pin-striped executive Harold Pelham. Except that he plays TWO Harold Pelham's - one nice, dull, and sexually inadequate; the other a cavalier and sinister Romeo. This means a lot of Moore chasing round London insisting "I'm Harold Pelham!", and a climactic and weirdly psychedelic car-chase involving nice Pelham and nasty Pelham. If this hasn't yet acquired a cult following, it ought to.

With its 1970s chic cheese and swagger and Roger Moore's excellent performance, The Man Who Haunted Himself has a considerable cult fan base. Directed by British legend Basil Dearden, plot finds Moore as Harold Pelham, who after being involved in a serious car accident, comes around from the trauma to find that his life is being turned upside down. It seems that somebody is impersonating him, people he knows swear he was in places he hasn't been, that he has been making decisions at work that he knows nothing about, and that he has a sexy mistress that threatens to destroy his marriage. Is he going mad? A victim of a collective practical joke? Or is there really something more sinister going on?

Don't be a slave to convention!

So yeah! A cult gem waiting to be rediscovered is The Man Who Haunted Himself, it has a plot that positively bristles with intrigue. As the doppleganger motif is tightly wound by Dearden, who smartly sticks to understated scene constructions as opposed to supernatural excess, there's a realistic and human feel to the story. The makers are not going for jolt shocks, but taking a considered approach that has the pertinent mystery elements lurking in the background, waiting for their chance to reveal themselves for the utterly thrilling finale. A finale that is bold and special, obvious but not, and definitely tinged with cunning ambiguity.

With Moore drawing on talent from his acting pool that many thought he didn't have (two different characterisations smartly realised here), and Dearden pulling the technical strings (love those off-kilter angles and multi mirrored images), this is a film that has surprises in store all across the board. 8/10